Thursday, 20 July 2017

What FPV cameras do I use?

I'm no FPV expert and actually prefer line of sight flying. However I do dabble with fixed wing FPV occasionally and really enjoy having the plane in the video view. This could be called Third Person View maybe. I have very little interest in FPV multirotors.
Here is a playlist of all my FPV reviews - Youtube link

FPV Cameras
There are so many options these days with Foxeer and Runcam competing almost weekly with new dedicated FPV cameras, and most action cams offering FPV or TV Out as well.

It's important to note that our analogue video transmitters only send standard definition video. The picture quality is not great compared to even the most basic Action cam recording. High definition video transmitters are currently too expensive, too bulky and too slow, so they are not often used for FPV.

You can use dedicated FPV cameras or Action cams for FPV, but it's probably safer to use a dedicated FPV camera because Action cams can shut down or freeze with low battery or insufficient storage space. Dedicated FPV cameras tend to have much less delay or latency in the video feed than action cams as well, which is important for control at high speed. FPV cameras are usually 4:3 aspect ratio and Action cams are 16:9.

Dedicated FPV cameras
These are really just fancy security cameras, mostly with CCD sensors but a few with CMOS sensors. They usually have screw mounted lenses ranging through 2.8mm, 2.5mm and 2.1mm. I prefer the widest view of a 2.1mm lens and these can be purchased from places like Banggood for a few dollars.
Either the sensor or the lens will have an Infra Red filter fitted. In most cases the IR filter is on the sensor so you would buy a lens without the IR filter. Most are 4:3 aspect ratio and standard definition. 16:9 aspect ratio cameras are becoming available. If the option is available it is a good idea to turn on High Dynamic Range or DHDR in the camera setup to give the best video feed in difficult lighting conditions.

Surveilzone, Foxeer and Runcam HS1177
This is the first FPC cam I bought, mainly for it's small low drag casing. It turned out to be the most commonly used FPV camera in the RC community. It has a 4:3 600TVL CCD sensor which handles light and dark areas better than the cheap CMOS cameras.

The Eagle is the first of a new breed of FPV cam using a CMOS sensor with enhanced global high dynamic range. That means that the video image is processed to ensure there are no blown out skies or dark foreground. The effect is amazing and makes FPV flying a wonderful experience. With cheaper cameras on cloudy days it's almost impossible to fly because all you see in the goggles is black ground or white sky. The Eagle brings back all the detail and comes in a wide screen 16:9 aspect ratio version. Most other cameras are 4:3 aspect ratio. This is quite an expensive FPV camera at about A$80 and the default sharpening settings are too high, giving jaggy and shimmering edges, but after adjustment this is a superior FPV cam. This is my favourite FPV camera for old school cruising because it fills the screen of my 16:9 goggles with an unstretched image. However it doesn't have flight battery voltage OSD.

These are the latest high quality 4:3 aspect ratio FPV cameras and are currently the most commonly used in the RC community. They have evolved from the early HS1177 to offer excellent HDR and On Screen Display of flight battery voltage, pilot name and flight time. This is a fantastic development meaning you don't need a separate system for OSD to keep track of your battery voltage. However you do need to connect an extra wire from the battery + lead to the camera.

See my FPV playlist for reviews.

Any of these three are my favourites for fast flying wings, because of the voltage OSD and easier to view 4:3 aspect ratio at high speed.